The Way It Should Have Been
by Cherie Dennis
Summary: This is how I think epsiode 4x10 should have ended, and what should happen afterwards. Brucas, of course!
1. The Way it should Have Been

**The Way it should Have Been**

Title: The Way it should Have Been.

Author: Cherie Dennis.

Summary: Lucas gave up his medicine to win the championship game, only to find that Nathan had a change of heart halfway through. They fought together for the win, and things were looking up.

Lucas was reveling in his new relationship with Peyton, Nathan and Haley were on good terms, the team was incredibly happy and Whitey had been handed the trophy he worked his whole career for.

With one accident, one crazed and drunk gangster, Haley and her baby were in danger. With Nathan trying to get justice for what was done to two members of his family, Lucas was faced with the questions from the paramedics. But he was soon carried away on a stretcher as well.

While in his coma, Lucas met up with Keith and shown What Could Have Been. After choosing to live and waking up, Lucas finds his mind muddled. Confusion is evident in the teen as he tries to make sense of what Keith said and showed him, as well as decided what he really wants in his life.

Rating: Teen, just in case. Could change later on.

Pairings: Leyton to start, but becomes Brucas. Naley, of course. Most characters will make an appearance, and other couples may pop up.

Disclaimer: I do not own OTH, but if I did, this is what would've happened after 4x10.

**Prologue:**

Emotions are some of the most confusing things in the world. And out of all of them, I would have to say that love – or rather, being in love – is one of the top three. Lately I've been having feelings for Peyton. Or I thought I was.

But how can you tell the difference from being in love with someone and loving someone? Why is it so easy to tell those who matter that you love them, and feel like it means something different that it really does?

I was in love with Brooke. I knew I was, and I know I never stopped. I feel something with Peyton, but it pales in comparison. But how am I supposed to decide between the two, especially with Peyton so eagerly being with me?

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place…


	2. Finding My Voice

Brooke entered Lucas's hospital room, her eyes already filled with tears. What was she going to say to him? She pulled up the chair and took his hand, feeling the warmth that came from it. At least he wasn't dead.

She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She glanced to the window, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment as she tried to think of something to say. The doctors told them it would be good to talk to him, try to get him out of the coma he was in. But what was the point? It wasn't like he could hear her.

Brooke looked back to him, more tears coming to her eyes. "Hey," she said quietly, "it's me." She pulled her hand away from his, finding it harder to talk with the feel of his skin against her own. She folded her hands on his bed, looking down at them.

"Karen's a wreck. So is everyone else, Luke," she whispered. She quickly wiped away a few tears that had fallen from her eyes. "You need to wake up. Peyton needs you to wake up," she paused for a moment. "I need you to wake up," she said so softly that she could barely hear her own voice.

Glancing out the window again, Brooke let out another sigh. She was exhausted emotionally, and she wasn't sure if she could take another minute of this. She stood up slowly, as if making a sudden movement would scare Lucas.

"Come on Broody," she said as she took his hand again, "we need you." She stood still for a moment, waiting for a reaction from him; anything to show that he had heard her. When she got nothing, and the tears were threatening to flow freely, Brooke had to pull herself away. She walked out of the room, throwing one last glance over her shoulder at Lucas.

She walked out into the hallway and leaned against the wall, resting her head against it as she tried to gain control of her emotions. A door opened down the hallway and Peyton came running down, grabbing hold of Brooke's arms.

"Haley's awake!" she said excitedly then was gone in a flash, leaving the brunette to try to make sense of what she'd said. Once the words registered in her brain she pushed off the wall, racing down the hallway to the chapel where Nathan was.

When she arrived there, Peyton was already grabbed Nathan's arm, pulling him out of the area. She could see the pained, but joyous, look on the boy's face as he raced down the hallway. Brooke stood still for a moment, watching him and Peyton head back down the hallway.

She didn't have to watch Peyton to know which door she'd gone into. Brooke let out another exhausted breath and walked over to one of the pews, sitting down carefully on the wood. She stretched her arms out on the back on the one in front of her, hanging her head between them.

"I know I'm not really someone you want to hear from," she said quietly, "but I need to ask you a favor. And I know it's probably way too late for you to even listen to me, but hear me out, okay?" Brooke paused for a moment, surprised at herself that she was talking to something she didn't have a whole lot of faith in.

"Just please, let Lucas be okay. That's all I need from you." She closed her eyes, focusing on trying to bring him back to the world. Even if he was just her friend now, she knew that losing Lucas Scott would tear a whole in her world. One so large that she was certain no one would be able to fix.


	3. More Like a Guide

Lucas was standing in a graveyard, the same one that his uncle was buried in. But his uncle stood beside him, looking down at the headstone. Keith shook his head, letting out a soft laugh, causing his nephew to look over at him.

"It'd be nice to get some flowers once in a while," the adult said as he looked back to Lucas. The blonde frowned a bit as he looked back towards the gravestone. "She wants to, it's just hard for her," he said softly, referring to his mother.

Keith nodded a bit, putting his hands into his pockets as he glanced around. His eyes settled on Lucas again. "What about you?" he asked, watching as the teen looked back up at him. He raised an eyebrow slightly, watching Lucas's face turn to one of pain.

"I didn't believe in you," he stated, watching his uncle's face mimic the pain he felt. "I mean, after you died… I didn't believe in the idea of you," he explained. Keith gave a slight nod, letting his eyes land on the area where, hours before, Peyton's gravestone had been.

The life that Lucas could've led, had he made different decisions, didn't turn out to be that great. No matter what he did, someone got hurt, and it was killing him to see his loved ones in so much pain. Could his choices, so small and insignificant they were, really affect people this much?

His thoughts were cut short as he and Keith approached the grave. "Who's that woman by Peyton's grave?" he asked, nodding towards the elderly woman who had just laid roses down.

"That's not Peyton's grave," Keith explained, watching Lucas give him a confused look. "If it's not Peyton's…" Lucas trailed off, looking towards the grave again. He watched the woman shift into her past body, showing that it was Peyton who had laid the flowers down.

"It's your grave, Lucas, if that's the path you chose," Keith explained. Lucas stared at the girl in disbelief, watching as she tried to hold herself together.

In less time than Lucas thought was imaginable, he and his uncle were standing again in Keith's old auto shop. The blonde cleared his throat softly before saying, "I want to live." The adult stood up, looking at his nephew. "Are you sure?" he asked, leaning against Peyton's car.

Lucas nodded slightly, fighting the tears that came to his eyes. "I never told Peyton how I felt about her," he explained. Keith gave a slight nod, "I know." The blonde looked away for a brief moment. "We'll see each other again," Keith said, "you can believe that."

With the help of Keith, Lucas relived the moments of his life that proved what happened with each of his choices. Peyton was alive because of him, which made Brooke the Cheery he had always known. Haley and Nathan were together, assuming she made it through the accident. Not to mention all the other choices he had made, both the good and the bad.

He knew he had to make it out alive. Everyone's world would shift too far out of balance if he died.

He was standing in the school again on the day of the shooting. "I still can't believe Jimmy shot you," he could hear himself saying. Then Keith's voice came through, "Then why you do, Luke? He was your friend. You knew him, and you were kind to him."

"A lot of good it did me!" he challenged back, seeing his uncle getting frustrated. "If it did do any good, you wouldn't be dead!" Lucas could feel the pain and the anger rising in his chest, the same feeling he had when he found out about Keith.

"You're not looking, Luke! Tell me what you saw that day!" the adult yelled back, trying to get his nephew to grasp hold of the truth. "I didn't see anything," Lucas said, confusion obvious in his voice.

"Yes you did, Luke! Open your eyes! Open your eyes like you did your heart!" Keith said, his voice rising louder. The sound of a gun shot ringing through the empty hallways was the last thing Lucas heard.


	4. Left Over Advice

Brooke paused to look into Lucas's room, seeing Peyton asleep in the chair. No changes from him, she thought bitterly. Just as she was about to move, however, she saw something; those blue eyes of his opened. She'd seen it, if only it was for a brief moment.

She pushed open the door, hitting it against the wall with the force of the action, causing Peyton to awake in surprise. She looked around at the brunette, confusion showing on her face. "Brooke?" she asked, her voice scratchy, "what is it?"

She ignored the questions from the blonde, even as she stood up and walked over to her. Brooke pushed past her, making her way to the bed. "Lucas?" she asked, her tone hopefully. Peyton turned around, looking at the bed where her boyfriend lay, his eyes open and staring up at her friend.

"Hey," he said, his voice scratchier than Peyton's had been. Brooke, out of instinct, wrapped her arms tightly around Lucas. "Don't you ever do that to me again," she whispered in his ear. Her heart raced wildly in her chest as his arms wrapped back around her.

He eyes looked over to Peyton, seeing the surprised look on her face. When the brunette pulled away, Lucas left his arms open for his girlfriend. Brooke stepped away, averting her eyes as the two blondes hugged. Sure, she'd given them her blessing, but it didn't make the pain go away.

Lucas's eyes, unknown to Brooke, stayed on her as he hugged Peyton. He could hear Keith's words echoing in his mind, "_Don't confuse caring for people that matter with love..._" What was that supposed to mean, anyways?

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Peyton exclaimed, bringing Lucas back to the present. He was still a bit confused about his guide, but chose not to bring it up with his girlfriend. He stole one last look at Brooke as she slipped out of the room before he smiled up at Peyton.

"I had to come back," he said, his voice still a bit off, "people need me." The blonde hugged him again, tears of joy spilling down her cheeks. Lucas stroked her back gently, trying to push the thoughts from his mind. He was too exhausted to be dealing with all of this.

When she pulled away he gently brushed away her tears with his thumb, feeling a soft ache in his chest. He knew that it wasn't from the lack of HCM medicine, either. "How's Haley?" he asked softly.

Peyton's eyes lit up once again as she carefully sat on the bed beside him. "She's good. She had to go into surgery, but she's alright now," Peyton explained animatedly, "she's getting an ultra sound done right now. That will tell us if the baby made it or not."

Lucas could feel his heart aching again, this time with happiness. His best friend, and hopefully his nephew, was alright. He took Peyton's hand in his own, lacing their fingers together. She smiled happily at him before lying down beside him, snuggling close to him.

He held her close to him and closed his eyes. Soon Peyton could hear his soft, even breathing against her ear, signaling that he was asleep. She carefully slid out of the bed, placing a soft kiss onto his lips before disappearing into the hallway again.

Peyton opened the door slowly, making sure she didn't wake Lucas. She stepped into the hallway, only to be greeted by an anxious Karen. "I just got the news from Brooke," she said softly, happiness and relief filling her tone. Peyton gave a slight nod, stepping away from the door.

"He's sleeping right now," the blonde said softly, "but you should go in. I know he'd love to see you this time when he wakes up." Peyton gave Karen a tentative hug before walking away, hearing the familiar click of the door opening and then closing as Lucas's mom went into his room.

_Review, please!_


	5. Brotherly Confessions

Lucas was sitting in his hospital room the next day, flipping through the basic cable channels. He wanted to get up to go see Haley and see how she was doing, just like the day before, but they wouldn't let him. Stupid hospital, he thought bitterly.

The door opened and he glanced over, seeing his younger brother holding the door handle. Nathan gave him a slight smile as he stepped in, shutting the door with his foot. "Hey," he said softly.

Lucas nodded towards the chair before turning his attention back to the television. The raven-haired boy walked over and sat down, looking up towards the TV as well. He could feel the awkwardness hanging in the silence between them, knowing that, somehow, what had happened to Lucas was his own fault.

"How's Haley?" the blonde asked, breaking the silence. His eyes were still focused on the TV, which was now showing a re-run of Jerry Springer. There was nothing like trash-talking screw ups to make someone feel better.

"She's good," Nathan said, his happiness obvious in his voice. "The baby made it, too. She's actually sleeping right now, which is part of the reason I decided to come down here." Nathan could feel the silence creeping back into the room, making him claustrophobic as Lucas continued to stare at the screen.

"I saw him," the blonde said, breaking the silence again. His voice was hushed as he continued, "I saw Keith. He helped me out." Nathan stared at his brother in disbelief. Well, at least he wasn't the only one who was crazy. He instantly thought of the anger he felt towards Keith the day before when he was standing at the bridge.

"What did he say?" he asked, his voice as hushed as Lucas's had been. His hands were gripping his knees in anxiousness as he waited for the answer. The seconds seemed to pass like hours as the blonde finally looked over at his brother.

"He told me it was okay, that everything was going to be okay," he said, fighting the tears in his eyes. Lucas was struggling with so many things now, so many things that Keith had showed him. He really did suck at the whole being-a-guide thing.

Nathan let out a shocked breath as he glanced towards the window. "He said the same thing to me," he confessed, shaking his head a bit. There was another silence, this one a bit less awkward. Nathan could still feel the guilt eating away at him.

Just as he was about to speak, Lucas said, "I'm really confused, Nate." He looked towards the television again, watching a couple fight on screen. "I don't know what to do about this whole Peyton and Brooke thing," he said with a shake of his head.

Nathan sat quietly beside his brother, watching his as he spoke. "What do you mean?" he asked gingerly. "I thought you were with Peyton now and you and Brooke were just friends?" He watched Lucas close his eyes, knowing that this must be hard for him.

"I thought I loved Peyton," Lucas began, "but now I'm not so sure. I really do care about her, and she's a great friend. I just… I don't know; I feel empty without Brooke." He paused for a moment, taking in a breath. "I mean, how do you not confuse caring for people that matter with love?"

The younger of the two shook his head a bit, trying to figure out a way to explain it to his brother. Nothing came, however, and he found himself searching the room for nothing. "I don't know, Luke," he said after a few minutes, "I think you just know."

The door opened again, this time with Peyton on the other side. "Hey," she said, giving Lucas a teary smile. "How are you today?" she asked as she walked into the room. Lucas gave a slight shrug, glancing at Nathan.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Nathan said as he stood up. He looked down at his older brother, giving him a shrug. "Things will be okay," he said before leaving the room, pulling the door closed gently behind him.

Peyton sat down beside Lucas on the bed, slipping her hand into his. How long had she waited to be with him? She gave him another smile, fighting back the tears she had in her eyes. He gave her a weak smile, trying to ignore the slight ache in his chest.

"Everyone at school is talking about you," she said, trying to break the ice between them. Lucas nodded a bit, glancing up towards the television again. He absentmindedly stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, something he knew, as her boyfriend, he should do.

Peyton watched him quietly, confused as to why he seemed to distant. She looked over her shoulder at the TV, seeing a commercial for some kind of Tupperware on. She let her eyes fall back onto Lucas who was now staring at her intently. She practically jumped at the intensity of his eyes.

"Peyton," he said quietly, watching her lean down to him. She gave him a quick smile before pressing her lips to his, her eyes closing. He closed his eyes as well, feeling nothing in the kiss. The ache in his chest grew as she curled up next to him, pulling his arm around her.

Keith's voice came into Lucas's head again, the words echoing back and forth, "_Don't confuse caring for people that matter with love…_" He took in a breath and closed his eyes, clearing his throat softly.

"I think you should go, Peyton," he whispered quietly. She looked up to him, the hurt in her eyes enough to make guilt course through his veins. "I'm just exhausted," he explained, seeing her nod a bit.

"Of course," she whispered. Peyton leaned up, kissing his lips softly. "Get some rest and I'll come back later, okay?" She stood up, giving his hand a squeeze before she left the hospital room.


End file.
